GE GCST09N1WWW Microwave Oven, 900-watt 7 Auto Cooking Settings, Kitchen Essentials for The Countertop, Dorm Room or Apartment, Child-Lock Technology 0.9 Cu. Ft, White

Very good so far!
After my 11 year old $65 Hamilton Beach from Walmart died, I realized that shopping for microwaves isn’t as simple as it once was!This GE unit is compact, saving precious countertop space. And, although it’s only 900 watts vs. the 1000 watts of the old unit, newer technology allows it to heat faster & it holds my 10.5” casserole dishes!I LOVE the mute option, which clearly displays the word “mute” when engaged. My old unit would beep loudly & repeatedly untilthe door was opened & while pressing the buttons. It was so annoying!Another great feature is the ability to use the kitchen timer independently from the oven, which is important while multitasking. I was shocked to learn that some manufacturers do not program their microwaves this way – you can either heat food in the microwave OR you can use the kitchen timer – but you can’t do both simultaneously! Who the heck needs a .9 cubic foot box timer?! smhThe buttons are easy to press on this GE & the white enclosure brightens up the kitchen.I hope it stands the test of time!

There is no back light
I had the larger counter GE Microwave that had the convection option and it went out. So I opted for this smaller counter space saver GE Microwave. It does its job great. I do miss the add 30 second option. That was great to have while cooking on the stove and having something in the oven to be able to just lean over and tap an extra 30 seconds onto a bowl of green beans etc. But this microwave is a pain. You can’t see the control panel! The light has to shine onto the panel. It’s not enough for it to be overhead. You need direct light like the second picture, I open my fridge to get direct light onto the control panel. Would I buy this again… NO! It’s pretty important to be able to see the controls always and without a flashlight.

PERFECT!
I had the earlier version of this GE Microwave, yes earlier, how about 22 years? No kidding it lasted that long and when the opening button broke I thought I will never have one this good again. Then I found this one, almost identical but with a few modern style improvements but basically the same GE oven. It sits perfectly on my kitchen counter and doesn’t take up much room at all. It heats stuff fast! It’s a well made Microwave with clean lines that make it fit right into my somewhat small kitchen and I love it! The last one outlasted my kids growing up and I am sure I’ll get another 22 years on this new one probably longer! If you’re looking for a smaller well made oven for yourself this is the one! Don’t hesitate! I’m thrilled I found it!

Good Microwave. Poor Keypad.
The microwave oven itself works fine and is quiet. The unit also looks sharp.The keypad isn’t so good. The buttons have poor contrast and can be difficult to see.Each key requires too hard of a press to activate.I shouldn’t need to press “Cook Time” if I simply want a few seconds or minutes. It should be enter time length > Start.The beep tone is a shrill akin to a medical device. This can be easily silenced if you like.I don’t like the way “Power Level” works. I’d rather use percentages like many microwaves do, but I guess this is a simpler way for those who don’t understand percentages?I liked our old Whirlpool better. The Whirlpools were sold out everywhere I looked. I see why.

Overall good, panel has decent options. Starting to have some issues with the door opening, see how that plaays out.